The Law Society of Upper Canada commends the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on the release of its final report today. We are grateful to TRC Commissioners Justice Murray Sinclair, Chief Wilton Littlechild and Dr. Marie Wilson for their tireless and profoundly important work in helping to build understanding of the reconciliation process — and to create a roadmap for the future.

Tahir Elçi was the head of the Diyarbakir Bar Association. He had previously been detained and received death threats after saying the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party should not be regarded as a terrorist organization. Tahir Elçi was active as a human rights lawyer since the 1990s. He played a critical role in investigating alleged abuses by the Turkish state, but he was also outspoken in his criticism of Kurdish militants.

Karim Hamdy was accused of belonging to a terrorist group, protesting without authorization, possessing weapons and using them against the police during protests. He denied the accusations and advised the prosecutor that he had been tortured by the police in order to obtain a videotaped confession.

Adilur Rahman Kahn is a prominent lawyer and human rights defender. In 2014, he was awarded the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Prize. Adilur Rahman Khan is the founder and secretary of Odhikar, a human rights organization that works to raise awareness of human rights and monitor alleged violations in Bangladesh.

Ermek Narymbaev is well-known for exposing financial fraud carried out by banks in Kazakhstan. He also provides legal advice to those that have been deliberately misinformed by banks. In 2011, Ermek Narymbaev was awarded the Kazakh “Freedom” award.

Abdullah Abdelkader was a judge and human rights defender, and a member of the Sudan Human Rights Monitor. He provided legal aid to victims of human rights violations, particularly in areas affected by armed conflict, including South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur. He was also very active in advocating for and supporting fellow human rights defenders in these regions.

Narges Mohammadi is a prominent human rights lawyer and activist, as well as the deputy director and spokesperson for the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (“DHRC”) in Iran. The history of her harassment by Iranian authorities has been well-documented.

Members of the media are invited to attend the Justicia event, Women in the Legal Profession – Rainmaking and Business Development,on Thursday, October 29. This event is part of the Law Society’s groundbreaking Justicia Project.

I commend the French Language Services Bench and Bar Response Steering Committee for the important review of services and recommendations in their response to the 2012 Access to Justice in French report submitted to the Attorney General today.